University of Dayton center Steve McElvene died Thursday at age 20, the school announced. An autopsy was set to be performed and an official cause of death had yet to be provided in the death, which occurred in McElvene’s hometown of New Haven, Ind.
Glenn Marini, sports director at WANE, reported that the 6-11, 260-pound player collapsed at his family home and that the cause was believed to be an enlarged heart. McElvene, a redshirt freshman in 2015-16, completed his first season with the Flyers in March.
“We are devastated at this news,” Dayton head coach Archie Miller said in a statement. “Any death is a tragedy, but for someone so young who worked so hard to have his dreams within reach, it’s hard to put into words how painful this is. Our hearts and prayers go out to Steve’s family. My family, our team and our staff will have to pull together, not only in support of Steve’s family but in support of each other at this terrible time.”
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In 32 games for the Flyers, McElvene averaged 18.4 minutes, 6.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. His 55 total blocks set a Dayton record, and he tied a mark with six blocks in one game, against Saint Louis.
Dayton President Dan Curran sent an email to university students and staff that said (via the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel), “We extend our deepest sympathy and prayers to his family, friends, professors, teammates, coaches and our entire campus community. Join me in praying for Steve, his family and friends. Please reach out to one another in support during this difficult time for our campus community.”
According to the Dayton Daily News, Curran said that McElvene had had his heart tested during the season. “We went through all the tests we could with him, and we weren’t going to clear him to play unless he had all the heart tests and so on,” Curran told the newspaper. “So again these things are very tricky.”
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“He was just going to get better,” Bucky Bockhorn, a former NBA player who has been a radio analyst for Dayton games since 1970, told the Daily News. “Give that kid three years, he would have been a pro player, no doubt. He had that left- and right-hand hook. What people didn’t realize is this kid could step out to 18 feet and drill shots.”
Dayton guard Scoochie Smith paid tribute to his former teammate via Instagram.
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